Applying for Neuroscience-Related Experience in a University: Transition Year students
Neuroscience Ireland do not provide research experience programs for Transition Year students or provide connections between Transition Year students and such programs provided by others. However, here we provide some tips on how to find work experience opportunities in a neuroscience lab or a university-run program.
Finding university-run programs
Some universities, but not others, run structured programs to provide work experience for Transition Year students. These programs typically have very limited places and require students to submit an application demonstrating why they should be offered a place. We recommend seeking out these programs as early as possible (in the summer before you start school or early in the school year) as deadlines for applications may close in autumn or winter.
To find information about such programs, check the website of the university/universities you wish to get experience from. Navigate to the school/department which teaches or performs research into topics such as biology, neuroscience, medicine and psychology. They may have an “Outreach” tab or “Events” tab which includes information about relevant programs. Alternatively, use the search function on the website to look up “Transition Year”, which may highlight relevant information.
Some examples include:
Finding a neuroscience lab that offers work experience to Transition Year students
Active neuroscience labs are busy environments which may not have the time or resources to provide work experience to Transition Year students. Additionally, such labs may not be suitable for hosting students, due to potential safety hazards. However, some research teams, particularly larger groups, may be happy to provide a few days or a week of experience for one or a small number of students. Typically, such work experience would involve meeting researchers in the team to hear about what they are working on, then shadowing these researchers as they collect and analyse data.
If you are eager to gain work experience with a specific research team:
You will need to contact the head, or leader, of that team, typically referred to as the “Principal Investigator”. You can contact them via email – their email address will be available on the website of the university that they work for. See tips below for what to include in your email.
If you are interested in a specific type of research, but do not know who to contact:
You can look for people who research a specific neuroscience topic by looking at university websites. Navigate to the pages of departments which are relevant (e.g. neuroscience, psychology, biology, medicine or similar), then go to the “Staff” or “Researchers” or “Our Team” tabs. These tabs will contain biographies and summaries of the research interests of the people who work there. Here you may find someone who is researching what you are interested in. You can also find the email address to contact them. See tips below for what to include in your email.
How to structure an email requesting work experience from a Principal Investigator:
As these scientists are very busy, you are most likely to be successful if you keep your email brief and clear. Additionally, you should demonstrate that you have a specific interest in this scientist’s area of work. Here are some tips for how to apply via email:
Use a brief subject line that show you are applying to this person’s lab specifically. Generic email subjects may be disregarded as spam.
For example: “Looking for transition year experience in Dr Smyth lab”, as opposed to “Transition year experience”
Open your email with the lab head’s correct title and use correct spelling of the surname. Their title may be found on their university profile, but if you are not sure, use either “Dr” or “Prof.”, followed by their surname. Avoid using first names or gendered pronouns (e.g. “Mr”, Mrs” or “Ms”) or generic titles (e.g. “Sir” or “Madam”).
For example: “Dear Dr Smyth”, as opposed to “Hi” or “Dear Sir/Madam”
Briefly outline that you are a Transition Year student, name your school, and summarise in 3-5 sentences why you wish to get work experience in this lab.
For example, mention how the research/interests of this lab relate to your career interests, goals or curiosities about neuroscience, and how it will help you.
Indicate when you will need to undertake work experience, if you can only attend on specific days/weeks/months. If you are not restricted to specific dates, make clear that you are flexible in terms of when you can attend.
Attach your CV to the email. Your CV should only be 1-2 pages long. In this document, summarise any relevant experience at school (e.g. junior certificate science grades or other experience) or outside of school (e.g. taking part in science fairs or activities) that show your interest in science.
If you are interested in gaining experience in more than one lab, pick only 1-3 scientists to email within the same university. Sending emails to numerous scientists within the same university, each saying you are interested in different things, may convey that you are not interested in any one lab specifically. This can be off-putting to some lab leaders.
Use a formal email sign off to close your email, such as “Kind regards, [Full name]”.
Spell and grammar check your email before sending.